A. S. Charity Fundraising is so proud to have played a role in creating awareness for MS in the Columbus area, and we are so pleased to have been a part of this exciting event for such a great cause.

Take a look at our letter from Kristin Doty, sales and marketing manager at McCasky’s Grille:

If you have an auction event or fundraiser coming up and need cool memorabilia items and travel and experience packages, we’d love to help you, too! Give us a call today at (888) 232-2500 to speak with one of our helpful charity fundraising specialists.

By Deandra Gomes, Charity Fundraising Assistant

Just a few short weeks ago, A. S. Charity Fundraising’s Heller Pool, left the snowy Northeast behind and headed for sunny Florida to help with the Leta Lindley Prader-Wili Classic held at the PGA National Resort & Spa. Held during the weekend of January 18-19, 2013, the event was a huge success, and fundraising items from A. S. Charity Fundraising were a hit among the hundreds of attendees. Pool and the team at A. S. Charity Fundraising couldn’t be more pleased our charity auction items helped contribute to the organization’s mission to find a cure and effective treatment for Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS).

PWS is the most common known genetic cause of life-threatening obesity in children. Approximately one in 10,000 babies is born with PWS, and the disorder occurs in males and females equally and in all races. PWS typically causes low muscle tone, short stature if not treated with growth hormones, incomplete sexual development, and a chronic feeling of hunger that, coupled with a metabolism that utilizes drastically fewer calories that normally can lead to excessive eating and obesity.

Enjoying a hands-on approach to helping plan and provide fundraising items to this year’s event, Pool truly enjoyed her week in the Sunshine State.
“It was so amazing to see everyone come together to plan this event,” Pool said. “I was so honored to have had the opportunity to be a part of this fundraiser! It’s incredibly rewarding to see how much can be done when you put your mind to doing something good for the larger community.”

This year, The Prader-Willi Classic was held in honor of Josilyn Faith Levine and Harold Wilkinson IV, and took place in conjunction with the 9th Annual Pro-Am Tournament. All the proceeds generated by this extremely successful event were used to fund The Prader-Willi Research Fellowship at the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Fla.

The season for golf tournaments is upon us, so if you need help with charity auction items for your next golf tourney or other fundraising event, contact one of A. S. Charity Fundraising’s helpful specialists today at (888) 232-2500 or info@ascharityfundraising.com. We also invite you to visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest to keep up with the many incredible causes A. S. Charity Fundraising supports.

By Deandra Gomes, Charity Fundraising Assistant

Name:

In May 2011, Devin Noonan joined the A. S. Charity Fundraising team as an intern, and he’s been quick to move up the ranks within our organization. Shortly after his internship, Devin took charge of our online networking presence and became our Social Media Coordinator before his promotion to Charity Fundraising Assistant in August 2012. This past December, Devin was named our newest Charity Fundraising Specialist, and has already made a huge impact for our charity partners.

“Working at A. S. Charity Fundraising has been an extremely rewarding experience,” Noonan said. “Our charity partners are blazing the philanthropic trail with their fundraising efforts, and I’m just happy that I can contribute to their success. I’ve had the amazing opportunity to take on numerous roles since I first came on board, and it’s been an incredible learning experience for me.”

Devin’s interest in fundraising started through his work with Kiwanis and the National Honors Society in high school, setting up local fundraising events for his peers. His involvement continued during his time at Rutgers University, where he became a leading member of Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity. As president, he served on the Interfraternity Council and eventually joined their governing board in an effort to promote unity, scholarship and service to thousands of students. Just because his education is finished for now does not mean that he’s lost his strong desire to give back.

“My grandfather is a past New York State President of the ELKS, so I’ll be joining their ranks and helping their fundraising efforts very soon,” Noonan said. “At the moment, I’ve focused my efforts on supporting the Multiple Sclerosis Society on behalf of my stepfather, who was recently diagnosed with MS.”

The widespread reach of A. S. Charity Fundraising‘s program is what really truly helps fuel Devin’s passion for philanthropy.

“Now more than ever, I see so many causes around the world in dire need of support and awareness,” Noonan said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to do my part by helping our charity partners do theirs.”

In his free time Devin enjoys golfing, cooking, spending an evening out to dinner or a show, and writing as a featured NFL columnist for Bleacher Report.

If you need help with your next auction fundraising event, contact our newest Charity Fundraising Specialist, Devin Noonan, at (888) 232-2500, ext. 107 or devinn@ascharityfundraising.com.

By Deandra Gomes, Charity Fundraising Assistant

While last night’s Academy Awards had some big winners, last week A. S. Charity Fundraising had multiple contestants win awesome fundraising items during our 3rd Annual Oscar Trivia Contest! Every day last week, we posted a question on Facebook, allowing our fans to participate and score autographed memorabilia for their charity and fundraising events. It was a huge success and the feedback we’ve received has been fantastic — thank you to all who participated in the contest, and here’s a big congratulations to our very lucky winners!

And, the A. S. Charity Fundraising winners were:

1. Erin Wheeler Boyle, who was the winner of a cast-autographed movie poster from “The Godfather,” a film that previously won three Oscars.

2. Jason Smith, the winner of an autographed photo of Adele, who won the Oscar for “Original Song” for her song “Skyfall.”

3. Chris Dodd, winning an autographed photo of Daniel Day Lewis from “Lincoln,” who received the Oscar for “Best Actor.”

4. Ashlee Johnson, the lucky winner of an autographed photo of Anne Hathaway, the winner of this year’s Oscar for “Best Supporting Actress” for her performance in “Les Miserables.”

5. Josh Payton, who won an autographed photo of Jamie Foxx from Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained,” which won the Oscar for the “Best Original Screenplay.”

And the big winners from the Academy Awards were:

1. Best Picture: “Argo.”

2. Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln.”

3. Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook.”

4. Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, “Django Unchained.”

5. Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables.”

6. Best Director: Ang Lee, “Life of Pi.”

For those who didn’t get the chance to win this time around, stay tuned for our exciting contests and your chance to win cool prizes again soon. Don’t forget to follow A. S. Charity Fundraising on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest to keep up with our fundraising ideas for your next charity auctions and events!

By Deandra Gomes, Charity Fundraising Assistant

It’s finally here: the Oscar Trivia Contest begins TODAY and now is your chance to win cool fundraising items from A. S. Charity Fundraising! With just a week to go before the 85th Academy Awards this Sunday, stay tuned and find out how to win exciting prizes from us.

For full access all you have to do is “Like” our Facebook page and keep up with our daily Oscar Trivia. The first correct answer to each question WINS. There will be a prize a day from today, February 18, through Friday, February 22, so attempt as many as you can! You saw our practice questions, now here is the chance for you to win BIG and score items for your next fundraising auction or charity event!

Check our Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest for more updates throughout the week. We can’t wait for your feedback!

So, here’s the deal for this year’s competition…

Simply log into Facebook and “Like” A. S. Charity Fundraising’s page, for full access to the Oscar Trivia Contest. Then, starting Monday morning, look out for our daily questions. Remember, the first to “Comment” on each day’s trivia question with the correct answer will win that day’s cool fundraising items. You have the opportunity to win our fundraising giveaway every day of the week, and there’s no limit to the number of questions you can answer. We’ll be posting updates on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest too, so don’t forget to check back with all our pages, to see what we’re up to and to learn how you can score our free items for your next fundraiser.

Last year, our contest was a huge success, and the race to answer questions correctly was close every time — just milliseconds between winners and runners up! Who will score our original autographed fundraising items this year? Share this link to our blog on your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+ pages and get your friends to take part in the guessing game — don’t let them miss out!

PS: Don’t forget, you have to “Like” A. S. Charity Fundraising on Facebook to participate in our Oscar Trivia Contest. Start getting ready for the trivia by polishing up on your Oscar nominee knowledge and look forward to our questions!

By Deandra Gomes, Charity Fundraising Assistant

This Thanksgiving, we ask that you remember all those on the East Coast who were recently affected by Hurricane Sandy. Many families have lost everything, and some will never even be able to rebuild along the coast. In the wake of this disaster, we ask that you make an effort to raise money for charity, or simply donate clothes and food to those who truly need it now more than ever. After all, that’s part of the spirit of giving that goes hand in hand with the holiday season.

Our team here at A. S. Charity Fundraising was fortunate to have suffered only superficial damage in the aftermath of Sandy, and we have plenty to be thankful for this time of year. We’d like to take this time to thank all of our amazing charity partners who have been working tirelessly to make this world a better place for all. It’s people like you who fuel our efforts on a daily basis and truly make a difference. We wish you all the best this Thanksgiving and hope you have the opportunity to spend some quality time surrounded by family, friends and food!

By Devin Noonan, Charity Fundraising Assistant

Roberts helped raise money for charity by reaching out for monetary pledges to support ALS research prior to her three-mile walk. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, it is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans currently suffer from this disease. Roberts walked for Team Sciorilli Hope, in support of her boyfriend’s Uncle Dominico, who has suffered from ALS for the past 10 years.

“I had such a great time walking alongside so many people who were dedicated to raising awareness and fighting this disease,” Roberts said. “It’s always nice when I get the opportunity to go out and support a cause that really hits close to home.”

The ALS Association was established in 1985, dedicating their resources and fundraising ideas to research efforts as they continue to pursue a cure for Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Each year, roughly 5,600 new cases of ALS are discovered in the U.S. alone. The average life expectancy of ALS patients ranges from three to five years, although there are some instances, such as in Uncle Dominico’s case, where the patient lives longer.

“Just being out there with the people you love and the people who you’re walking to help is what really makes it all worth it,” Roberts said. “I’ll be walking again next year, and I already have some fundraising ideas lined up – I hope to double my total donation from this year!”

We are so proud to have been able to support our friend and colleague Roberts as she surpassed her 2012 fundraising goal. As she continues to raise money for charity, we urge others to go out and help support this cause or any of the wonderful causes out there. It’s never too early or too late to start giving back, so join us and our non-profit partners as we strive to make a positive impact in the world. For information on how you can help support the ALS Association, visit http://www.alsa.org.

By Devin Noonan, Charity Fundraising Assistant

Michael Smith, a resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a man dedicated to philanthropy and community. The organizations he works with include the Crossroads Clubhouse and the Rotary Club of North Tulsa, both of which have utilized fundraising items and once-in-a-lifetime experience packages from A. S. Charity Fundraising to generate profit. The Crossroads Clubhouse continues to provide support and hope for adults with mental illness in every aspect of life, while The Rotary Club of Tulsa has provided over $1 million in grants to area charities since 1915.

“Having an organization like A. S. Charity Fundraising involved with our fundraisers has helped provide the capital that our organizations need to operate on a daily basis,” Smith said. “I don’t know how any organization could do it without them.”

According to Smith, he doesn’t get to travel a lot, but after coming across a “6-Night Best of Ireland Tour with Hotel and Airfare for (2)” at the Crossroads Clubhouse Golden Gala this spring, he simply couldn’t resist joining in on the charity auction bidding himself. By the end of the night, Smith was the winning bidder, proud that he’d helped support his organization, while also securing a nice week away for him and his wife.

“Everything was taken care of from the second we left for the airport to the moment we touched back down stateside,” Smith said. “We didn’t have one bad experience at all. Everyone treated us so exceptionally well that we even extended our trip by two days.”

Although his only tee time did get washed out by a bit of rain, Smith was still delighted with the incredible hospitality he received during his stay. Once he got used to driving on the left side of the road, it was a smooth trip from there. From exploring the Guinness Storehouse, to visiting historical sites from the 11th century, to simply roaming the countryside, Smith and his wife had a blast. And, when they returned home, they had nothing but amazing things to say about their trip and about A. S. Charity Fundraising.

“Before we teamed up with A. S. Charity Fundraising, we looked around at a lot of different programs, but they really set themselves apart,” said Smith. “Working with A. S. Charity Fundraising was a first-class experience every step of the way, and it really helped us bring that ‘Wow Factor’ to our charity auction. Not to mention, the vacation was more than we could have ever asked for.”

We’re thrilled Mike and his wife had a wonderful time on their Irish vacation, and we’re excited to continue providing fundraising items and experience packages for their future fundraising efforts, as well. For more information on how you can partner with A. S. Charity Fundraising for your next fundraising event, contact one of our helpful fundraising specialists at (888) 232-2500 or info@ascharityfundraising.com.

By Devin Noonan, Charity Fundraising Assistant

Start by asking a few simple questions: Who are my potential donors? How do I convince them to donate? How do I adequately reach them? How do I make them donors for life?

Potential

In order to successfully reach your fundraising potential at charity auctions, you need to adequately identify your target market. Potential donors are all around us, but how do you pick one out of a crowd? Understand your organization’s mission to properly identify your beneficiaries. It’s important to have a firm grasp of your objectives in order to recognize individuals who would be interested in helping your organization achieve its goals. Find them, and focus on that specific demographic, these are the people who will act as the building blocks of your donor base.

Planning

Charity auctions are a great way to bring together potential donors, volunteers and the local community for a festive evening in honor of your organization. The most successful events occur when they are properly planned, and that means starting months in advance. By beginning the planning process early, you give potential donors an opportunity to incorporate your big day into their busy schedule. This gives you a chance to not only promote your event and fundraising items to an even wider audience, but it also encourages your most loyal donors to spread the word, as well.

Promotion

Reach out to your target market through various social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter, consistently posting updates about your upcoming event. These channels can help you interact and communicate with your potential donors while generating excitement about your fundraising items and experiences. The traditional methods of e-mails, phone calls and direct mail are all still excellent tools to help you reach your audience and maximize the profitability of your charity auctions.

Persistence

Follow up e-mails and newsletters are a great way to keep your donors and volunteers up to date on upcoming events and recent success stories. This is precisely why it’s essential to establish a database of donor and volunteer contact information. Donors will be more likely to give back for a second or third time, if they feel they’re funding an organization truly dedicated to their cause and supporters. By keeping your constituents in the know, they become increasingly aware that their contributions are going to good use.

We hope that these Charity Auction Tips help propel your fundraising efforts to new heights at your next major event. Don’t forget to follow A. S. Charity Fundraising on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook!

By Devin Noonan, Charity Fundraising Assistant